Board Director Candidate Information

La Plata Electric board candidate election packets available Feb. 1

Four seats on LPEA’s Board of Directors up for election this year

DURANGO, Colo. – Election packets for those interested in running for a seat on the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors will be available Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, at LPEA offices in Durango and Pagosa Springs and on this page below.

To be placed on the ballot, candidates must return completed petitions to either LPEA office by 1 p.m. on Monday, Mar. 4. LPEA’s offices are located at 45 Stewart St., Durango (Bodo Industrial Park) and 603 S. 8th St., Pagosa Springs.

As per LPEA bylaws, one-third of the directors’ seats are up for election annually, one in each of LPEA’s four districts. Candidates are required to be members in good standing and permanent residents of the district they seek to represent and cannot work for a competing enterprise or supplier of the cooperative, plus not be employed or have a spouse or child employed by the cooperative in any position. A complete list of director qualifications can be reviewed in LPEA’s bylaws (www.lpea.coop/pdf/policies/LPEA_Bylaws.pdf).

Directors are elected for three-year terms. Incumbent directors up for re-election are Mike Alley (District 1 – Archuleta County), Dan Huntington (District 2 – south and west La Plata County), Doug Lyon (District 3 – City of Durango), and Jack Turner (District 4 – north and east La Plata County).

“LPEA is a cooperative, owned by and operated for the benefit of those who use its services,” said Mike Dreyspring, LPEA CEO. “So, if you purchase your electricity from La Plata Electric, and haven’t opted out of membership, you are entitled to run for a director seat and join the board that determines company policy.”

Ballots are scheduled to be mailed to the membership in April, and all those returned tallied by an independent third party. Results will be announced at LPEA’s special 80th Anniversary Annual Meeting set for the evening of Thursday, May 2, 2019 at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

The candidate packets contain additional election information and instructions, including copies of LPEA’s bylaws and board policies – including the new Policy 107, Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements. All candidates running for a seat on the Board of Directors are now required to disclose all monetary and in-kind contributions, valued at $20 or greater. A formal disclosure form is included with candidate materials and posted on LPEA’s website.

Candidates with questions should contact Jeannie Bennett, 970.382.3505 or jbennett@lpea.coop.

LPEA, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative celebrating 80 years in 2019, provides to its more than 30,000 members, with in excess of 43,000 meters, safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost, while being environmentally responsible.